DUI

Arizona’s DUI laws are tough. See e.g., A.R.S. §§ 28-1381, 28-1382, and 28-1383. And the State of Arizona is among the nation’s leaders in DUI enforcement. The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety claims that its top priority is putting a stop to impaired driving, and recent DUI enforcement statistics support its claim. According to the State of Arizona Highway Safety Annual Report (FFY 2013), in 2012, officers in Arizona made more than 32, 000 arrests for DUI. Officers made 677 DUI arrests over the 4th of July weekend alone.

Being pulled over by a police officer can be a scary and confusing experience. But as a citizen, you have constitutional rights, and if the police do pull you over, they must follow proper procedure to ensure they respect those rights. The basic premise underlying the Fourth Amendment is that the police must have justification (or cause) before they can do things like make a traffic-stop or arrest a person. And even after an arrest is made, the police must continue to follow certain procedure. For example, they are required to read Miranda rights to an arrestee, which includes telling the arrestee of his right to an attorney and right to remain silent. The Arizona criminal law DUI attorneys at Giordano Spanier & Heckele, PLLC, will defend you by ensuring that your rights have not been trampled on before, during, or after your arrest. We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding your arrest and conduct a scrutinizing examination of whether the police followed proper procedure.

A DUI arrest will push you into the often-complex maze that is the Arizona criminal court system, and navigating the system can be daunting. The first few steps in the process involve your initial appearance and arraignment. During these stages, the State will formally charge you with DUI, and the judge will consider if and how you should be released while your case moves forward. As your case proceeds, a pretrial conference will be held, which presents an opportunity to negotiate your charges with the prosecutor. Evidence can be challenged at an evidentiary hearing or through the filing of motions with the court.

If your case goes to trial, you have a right to trial by jury. At trial, the prosecution will present its case, and you will have the chance to present yours. The prosecution’s case will typically involve testimony from the arresting officer, including the officer’s observations of you at the time of the arrest and various test results, such as those from a Breathalyzer.

A DUI conviction can have life-changing consequences and is not to be taken lightly. Arizona law imposes severe penalties for DUI, including jail time, significant monetary fines, loss of your driving privileges, heavy community service obligations, and expensive classes on alcohol awareness. A DUI can also affect things like your car insurance rate and future employment.

It is precisely because the stakes are so high for a DUI that you need an experienced Arizona DUI attorney. The Arizona DUI lawyers at Giordano Spanier & Heckele, PLLC, can provide you with a vigorous defense through all stages of a DUI case. Our former prosecutor Zachary Spanier can defend you by litigating the case from arrest through trial, or, if it is in your best interest, by negotiating with the prosecution to get you a better “deal” (i.e., outcome) than you could reasonably expect at trial. CALL TODAY for a consultation: (520) 433-9031 or email us at info@reallawtucson.com

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST

With extensive legal and practical experience across numerous practice areas, the attorneys at Giordano Spanier & Heckele can advocate on your behalf effectively and efficiently!

Proudly Serving Southern Arizona

Contact Us

Giordano Spanier & Heckele Law Firm 4007 E Paradise Falls Dr. Suite 212 Tucson, AZ 85712 tel: (520) 441-3818 info@reallawtucson.com
*Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Content copyright 2009-2014. Giordano Spanier & Heckele Law Firm. All rights reserved.